Michael Ravensdale
Michael Edward Anthony Hastings ''(Styled "Lord Ravensdale" or "Michael Ravensdale")'' is the 11th Earl of Ravensdale, and eldest son of Edward, and Elizabeth Hastings. Like many aristocrats whose primary homes in Gilneas were devasted by the forsaken invasion, Michael spends much of his time in Stormwind, where he hopes to rebuild his fortune. The Earl is a member of the prestigious, Willowbrook Hunt Club and a frequent guest of the Duke of Newcastle. He was killed along with his brother Charles and their families during a massacre perpetuated by the Forsaken after they managed to take back the family seat in Gilneas. Appearance Tall and athletic, he appears to be somewhere in his thirties. His broad chest and shoulders offer some indication of his physical strength, and his posture suggests he may have served in the military. His coal-black hair is often closely-cropped, and his beard is meticulously well-groomed. With steel-grey eyes and a perfect smile, he would likely be considered a handsome man. Personality Fiercely loyal and possessing strong, nationalist leanings, Lord Ravensdale has been involved in numerous dilomatic talks with Stormwind's aristocracy in the interest of ralying support for the reconstruction of Gilneas. Born of a long line of Gilnean military officers, discipline, honour, and duty are of the utmost importance to the Earl. His conservative political views, unwavering belief in the aristocracy as the natural leaders of the Gilnean people, and efforts to stamp out any opposition to the traditional ways of doing things has made him quite unopular among the commonwealth, and even less popular among his more liberal peers. History Early Years Like the children of most Gilnean aristocrats, Michael was afforded the very finest education, and lived a privileged childhood until his father squandered much of the family fortune on flying machines and other new technology in an effort to modernize. Like his father, Michael developed a fascination with all things mechanical at an early age, and learned to fly at just nineteen years old. His first solo flight was in a vehicle of Gnomish design, built by he and his father. Marriage At twenty, Michael wed a woman of his father's choosing, Lady Fiona Ashford. Although Lady Fiona was more than ten years his senior, she was a wealthy widow in her own right and Michael's father needed her large dowry to replenish the family's coffers, and she was still young enough to bear children. Although she was not particularly beautiful and the marriage itself was arranged for financial reasons, it did not take long for a mutual affection to develop between them and Michael soon discovered that they shared many of the same interests. Children Their first and only child was born in October of 610 K.C. A healthy boy, named William Edward after Fiona and Michael's fathers respectively. Fiona proved to be as devoted a mother as she was a wife and spent as much time with the child as possible. Where Michael had been raised by a governess, private tutors and a master-at-arms, his son and heir would have the sort of early child hood that most children of aristocrats never experienced. Isolation The King's isolationist policies had taken their toll on Michael's family, leaving his father several million out of pocket after it was decided Gilneas had no need of the aircraft he had been building. Fiona's money proved instrumental in saving them from bankruptcy, but even that would not last another generation and with the Greymane Wall preventing all outside trade, their only source of income was rents and timber sales to other Gilnean provinces. It was a humbling experience for Michael, who in many ways felt hostage to his wife's purse and when his father did nothing to improve the family's financial situation, the result was a number of heated arguments. The Worgen Curse It started when local hunters reported sightings of "Wolves that walked upright like men." and within just a few months, the dreadful news from Gilneas City brought panic to the remote village of Ravensdale. For many months, the worgen were hunted and while Michael urged that they should all be shot on sight, his father's curiosity would prove disastrous for the family. The caged beast Lord Edward sought to study was more dangerous than he had imagined and when it broke free, both Michael and his father were bitten while attempting to subdue the creature. The ordeal ended when Michael shot the beast in the back of the skull as it tore apart Sir Rory, the old Master-At-Arms that was like a second father to him. Neither Michael, nor his father could have prepared for what came next. Both men turned, roaming the nearby forests for weeks until once again, Lady Fiona proved her resourcefulness. A letter to the Royal Alchemist saw a potion delivered that was said to have the power to restore them to some semblance of humanity. With what remained of the town watch, Fiona entered the forest in the hope of taking both her husband and father in-law alive. She would never return. The Aftermath His memory of the past months was hazy at best, but when he came to at Keel Harbor, Michael was informed that his wife had been killed by worgen, his father had been shot by Lord Godfrey's men, and he was now Lord Ravensdale. He was informed that the Forsaken had invaded Gilneas, the Prince was dead and the kaldorei had been the ones to restore him to sanity. Although he first saw it as a curse, Michael would later embrace the strengths his new, worgen form afforded him when he joined with the other survivors in pushing back the Forsaken. Like many of their countrymen, Michael, his brother Charles, and his son William would travel to Darnassus where they were offered refuge at the Howling Oak. The family would spend several months there as refugees, during which time they planned how they would resettle the family lands.Category:Characters Category:Gilnean Category:House of Hastings Category:Willowbrook Hunt Club Category:Druids Category:Worgen